Learn How to Play Wanted Dead or a Wild & Unlock Bonus Games

Slot games don’t come more wild or more western than Wanted Dead or a Wild, a five-reel online slot from maverick developers Hacksaw Gaming. It’s dark, gritty, and atmospheric; exactly what Hacksaw Gaming does best.

Key Beats:

How to Play Wanted Dead or a Wild

Wanted Dead or a Wild sits on a 5×5 reel grid, with 15 fixed paylines. You win when you land three or more matching symbols on a payline, from left to right, starting from the first reel.

So, if you are ready to take a stand – let’s saddle up! This is how to play:

1. Head to an online casino that features real-money slots like Wanted Dead or a Wild and launch the game.
2. Before you spin, use the bet size control to adjust your wager. The minimum stake is $0.20 and the maximum is $100 per spin – this may vary from one casino to another.
3. Hit the spin button, or you could press autoplay for up to 1,000 unattended spins.
4. Watch out for features like the VS symbol, Wilds, and Bonus Scatters. These are the keys to bonus games and big money.
5. Wins are awarded when matching symbols land on one of the online slot’s 15 fixed paylines, from left to right. If you hit a bonus trigger, you’ll automatically enter one of the game’s exciting feature rounds.

Wanted Dead or a Wild: Symbols and Paytable

 The game features the usual mix of low-paying symbols (card rankings) and high-paying outlaw-themed icons. The payouts are all multipliers of the stake wagered.

Symbol	3 of a Kind	4 of a Kind	5 of a Kind
The Sheriff Badge Wild			20×
Revolver Chamber	2×	10×	20×
Money Bag	1×	5×	10×
Whiskey Bottle	1×	5×	10×
Bull Skull	0.5×	2.5×	5×
Outlaw	0.5×	2.5×	5×
A, K, Q, J, 10	0.1×	0.5×	1×

Payout examples:

• A $10 wager would pay $100 if you were lucky enough to hit 4 Revolver Chamber icons on a winning payline: $10 multiplied by 10.
• A $1 wager would pay $0.50 if you landed three Bull Skulls on a winning payline: $1 multiplied by 0.5

The Wild symbol substitutes for any regular paying symbol and completes winning combinations. Keep your eyes peeled for the VS symbol. This expands and triggers the DuelReels multipliers. 

Slot Features

One of the biggest draws of Wanted Dead or a Wild is its impressive line-up of features and bonuses. Especially the signature DuelReels mechanic that puts a thrilling spin on traditional Wilds.

Feature Symbol	Description
Wild Symbol	Substitutes for all regular symbols to help form winning combinations
VS Symbol	Expands when part of a winning line. It triggers a duel between two outlaws. The winning outlaw’s multiplier is applied to the entire reel, which is wild
Duel at Dawn Scatter	Triggers the Duel at Dawn Bonus
Dead Man’s Hand Scatter	Triggers the Dead Man’s Hand Bonus
The Great Train Robbery Scatter	Triggers The Great Train Robbery Bonus with sticky Wilds

VS Symbol (DuelReels™ Feature)

The VS symbol is the star of Wanted Dead or a Wild. It’s the gateway to the game’s signature DuelReels™ mechanic. It appears only on reels 2, 3, and 4.

Once triggered, the VS symbol expands vertically, covering the entire reel. You now get to enjoy watching two hardened outlaws shoot it out in a dramatic Wild West stand-off.

Each outlaw comes armed with a random multiplier, ranging from 2x to 100x. The winner’s multiplier is applied to the whole reel, which becomes fully Wild.

What makes DuelReels especially exciting is how multipliers stack. If more than one expanded VS Wild reel contributes to a winning line, the multipliers are added together and applied to the payout. It unlocks some seriously big win potential.

Wanted Dead or a Wild Bonus Rounds

There are three bonus rounds in Wanted Dead or a Wild. They all come with different mechanics and offer players a unique gaming experience.

Now add cutting-edge graphics, on-point audio, as well as the gritty ‘edge’ that Hacksaw Gaming brings to so many of the games in its portfolio, and you have all the ingredients for a bonus showdown to remember.

Duel at Dawn Bonus

Triggered by landing three Duel at Dawn Scatters, this is arguably the most exciting feature in the game. You’ll get 10 free spins where the VS symbols appear more frequently.

Multiple VS symbols on one spin can lead to multiplying multipliers, creating insane win potential.

• VS symbols expand to cover an entire reel.
• Two outlaws duel; each with a multiplier from 2x up to 100x.
• The winning outlaw’s multiplier is applied to the whole reel; this then becomes a Wild reel.

Dead Man’s Hand Bonus

This bonus is triggered by landing three Dead Man’s Hand Scatters and takes place in two distinct phases:

1. Collect Phase: You have three spins to collect Wilds and multipliers. Each time you land one, the spin count resets to three.
2. Showdown Phase: When no more Wilds or multipliers land, the game uses your totals (up to 20 Wilds and 31x multiplier) for one final epic spin.
   
   It’s intense, cinematic, and packed with adrenaline-pumping excitement.

The Great Train Robbery Bonus

Triggered by three Great Train Robbery Scatters, this is the most basic bonus where you get 10 free spins, and any Wilds that land are sticky. It’s excellent for frequent wins and building momentum with every spin.

Wanted Dead or a Wild Bonus Buy

Some versions of Wanted Dead or a Wild offer players Bonus Buy options. It enables you to jump the queue, but at a cost.

Bonus Mode	Cost (Multiplier of Bet)
Duel at Dawn	200×
Dead Man’s Hand	400×
The Great Train Robbery	80×

RTP & Volatility

Wanted Dead or a Wild has an average Return to Player (RTP) of 96.38%, calculated by simulating 10,000,000,000 rounds; marginally above the online average of 96%.

Bonus rounds each come with their own RTP:

• The Great Train Robbery: 96.27%
• Duel at Dawn: 96.33%
• Dead Man’s Hand: 96.43%

High Volatility – Risks & Big Rewards

This slot is also classified as high volatility, which means payouts can be less frequent. However, when they land, they tend to be larger.

The game is ideal for players who enjoy high-risk, high-reward gameplay. Bonus features like Duel Reels and multipliers can transform it from quiet to explosive in seconds.

High volatility doesn’t guarantee wins. Like all casino games, slot outcomes are entirely random.

Wanted Dead or a Wild Maximum Win

The maximum win in Wanted Dead or a Wild is an eye-watering 12,500× your stake. In theory, a solitary $1 bet could win $12,500 in a single round.

There have been numerous community-shared clips and screenshots showcasing huge wins, particularly during the Duel at Dawn bonus round, where multiple VS multipliers stack for some truly insane payouts.

But it’s important to remember that hitting the 12,500× maxed out multiplier is incredibly rare. This is a high volatility game, meaning there’s a chance you will burn through your bankroll. 

Stick to a budget. Enjoy the game. Play again, another day.

Pros and Cons

Wanted Dead or a Wild is a cult favorite among slot fans. It’s easy to see why. Although it delivers intense action and some immense win potential, it’s not for everyone. Here are the pros and cons:

Our Experience With Wanted Dead or a Wild

We love Hacksaw Gaming’s portfolio: it’s offbeat, innovative, dark, gritty, and unapologetically intense – everything you want and expect from this studio.

From the very first spin, the game oozes atmosphere. The stylised Wild West theme, paired with its dark visuals and eerie soundtrack, creates a genuinely immersive experience. The VS Wilds are also quite remarkable.

Now here comes the downside. We tested the Bonus Buy feature multiple times. They’re fun to play, but they are pricey. We never got back what we spent. 

That high volatility really bares its teeth. If you’re not lucky, the big feature buys will burn through your bankroll, so remember to play responsibly.

Conclusion

Wanted Dead or a Wild is bold, brutal, and brilliantly designed. However, the win rate is poor. If you like to see a constant trickle of wins, you might find the volatility frustrating.

But… if you loved Deadwood, idolize Clint Eastwood, and fancy a bit of gun-slinging High Noon action, this game is a straight-shooting ‘rootin-tootin’ blast.

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